Savings challenge calculator
Pick the 100 envelope challenge, the 52-week challenge or your own goal, and see what each one adds up to and how much you deposit.
Excel and Google Sheets template
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Mark deposits as you go: printable grid, progress bars and all four challenges.
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How the challenges add up
- 100 envelope challenge: envelopes numbered 1 to 100, each holding its number in dollars: 1 + 2 + … + 100 = $5,050. With a multiplier of 0.5 it is $2,525.
- 52-week challenge: week n saves n × the base amount, $1 + $2 + … + $52 = $1,378. In reverse you start with the biggest deposit.
- Save X in a year: the goal divided by the number of deposits (52, 26 or 12), rounded to the cent; the last deposit absorbs the rounding. $5,000 biweekly = 25 × $192.31 + $192.25.
How much do you save with the 100 envelope challenge?
$5,050 if each envelope holds its number in dollars. A multiplier changes it in proportion: 0.5 gives $2,525 and 2 gives $10,100.
How much is the 52 week money challenge?
$1,378 with a $1 base: you save $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2 and so on up to $52. With a $2 base it is $2,756.
Is the reverse 52 week challenge better?
The total is the same. Reverse puts the biggest deposits in January, which some people find easier than in December, right after the holidays.
Organizing tool, not financial advice. Examples use made-up numbers.